Typefaces

[Roy_Castle's_Trumpet]

Wednesday 24th July 2024

This is a trivial post about typefaces, spurred by my reading of the book “Just My Type”, reviewed in the books sub forum.

After reading that book I investigated some of the typefaces discussed in the book with caught my eye, and I decided to have a look for more. I only had a look at the free typefaces available at places like Microsoft and Google.

I looked at both serif and sans serif and have chosen one of each as my new favourites. For a monospaced typeface, I still prefer JetBrains Mono.

I based my judgements on not just how the overall font looks (a font is a particular typeface with particular attributes, i.e. size, bold, italic, etc.), but also how readable it is, specifically two particular details: 1. a definite difference between the figure 1 (one), uppercase I (eye), and lowercase l (ell); 2. a definite difference between the figure 0 (zero), uppercase O (oh), and lowercase o (oh). Many typefaces make these easy to mistake at best, and some even make them almost interchangeable which is in my view sloppy, and the enemy of accuracy, and quick reading. Regarding zero: for serif and sans serif faces, I do not require that zero is stroked, that is, has a diagonal line through it to differentiate it from the letter oh, but this is essential for monospaced typefaces.


SERIF

1. Linux Libertine G.
1. Linux Libertine Display G.

Linux Libertine G.jpg (68.76 KiB) Viewed 136 times

LL Display G.jpg (66.11 KiB) Viewed 136 times

A tie for first in the serif group, but this may well be the result of a seemingly extraordinarily well thought out typeface. They are basically the same but tuned for two different purposes: LLG looks better than LLDG when printed out, and LLDG looks better than LLG on a computer screen. I was surprised by how significant the difference actually is in their respective domains. Not that I would be put off by a role reversal, but using them as they were (presumably) designed really does add that extra quality to the face(s). They fulfil the 1/L/l/0/O/o requirements, and the quote marks and apostrophes are pretty much perfect as far as I am concerned. I consider these two faces to be a paragon of the free and open source computing community’s ability to do things well.

3. Times New Roman.
3. Liberation Serif.
3. Georgia.

TNR.jpg (68.3 KiB) Viewed 136 times

Liberation Serif.jpg (70.1 KiB) Viewed 136 times

Georgia.jpg (74.77 KiB) Viewed 136 times

Three very close and essentially “the same” faces, but the roundness of the zero in Georgia relegates it to third place in the equal third place serif faces. They are all easy to read, fulfil the 1/L/l/0/O/o requirements, and have pleasing apostrophes and quotation marks. There are miniscule differences between the faces, for example the mark on the top loop of the lower case gee, but these differences are irrelevant for readability. You’ll not be disappointed with any of these three.


SANS SERIF


1. IBM Plex Sans Light.

IBM Plex Sans Light.jpg (58.09 KiB) Viewed 136 times

My surprise winner in this group. Subjectively great looking, fulfils the 1/L/l/0/O/o requirements, bonus point for the lower case ell having a nice subtle curve at its base. Has apostrophe and quote marks which are nicely curved.

2. Bahnschrift Light.

Bahnschrift Light.jpg (53.49 KiB) Viewed 129 times

A nice enough face—it won’t cause me to complain reading anything set in it, but whilst it technically fulfils the 1/L/l/0/O/o requirements, it does so only just because the lower case ell and upper case eye are too similar, differentiated only by the ell’s little base curve. Apostrophe and quote marks a little fussy looking at smaller sizes.

3. Verdana.

Verdana.jpg (64.6 KiB) Viewed 129 times

Not bad looking but the stroke is a little too thick for my preference. Fulfils the 1/L/l/0/O/o requirements. Quote marks and apostrophes are too straight and at too great an angle for my liking.

4. Calibri Light.

Calibri Light.jpg (46.21 KiB) Viewed 129 times

Although it is quite a squat and thick-stroked face, it somehow works quite well, and is quite pleasing to my eye. In the book review which prompted this folly of a post I mentioned that Calibri was my new favourite, but that has been repealed after finding IBM Plex Sans Light. It’s biggest drawback is the too-similar nature of the lower case ell and the upper case eye. That is not liked at all. Also the quote marks are too straight insomuch as they look clunky next to the otherwise generally pleasing face. A great shame.


MONOSPACED

1. JetBrains Mono.

JetBrains Mono.jpg (69.14 KiB) Viewed 129 times

Subjectively decent looking, fulfils the 1/L/l/0/O/o requirements, bonus point for the lower case ell having a nice curve at its base. Has apostrophe and quote marks which are nicely curved.

2. Consolas.

Consolas.jpg (56.48 KiB) Viewed 129 times

Nice enough looking but maybe a bit squat for my eyes, and the stroke is a bit heavy. Fulfils the 1/L/l/0/O/o requirements. Apostrophe and quote marks are nicely curved.

3. Courier New.

Courier New.jpg (62.83 KiB) Viewed 129 times

Arguably the nicest looking monospaced text to my eye, the classic old typewriter style of face, but with two major issues. Firstly, objectively, it fails the 0 Oo test badly, the zero being a squashed capital O with no stroke, and secondly, subjectively, the apostrophe and quote marks are horribly blunt and straight and angled. A real shame. A stroked zero, like Consolas, and curved apostrophe and quote marks would put this typeface to number one on my list. It is a more squat face than JetBrains Mono but it’s stroke is lighter than Consolas, which makes the face look much clearer to me.

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